Player Bio

DeMar Darnell DeRozan was born in Compton, California, to Frank and Diane DeRozan. He attended Compton High School, where he played on the varsity basketball team for four years. DeRozan averaged 26.1 points and 8.4 rebounds as a freshman. He continued to thrive over the next three seasons, finishing his senior year with per-game averages of 29.2 points and 7.9 rebounds while leading Compton to its second consecutive league title. DeRozan received a number of accolades for his outstanding play as a senior. He was named the Moore League Most Valuable Player Award and selected to the California All-State team. DeRozan was a member of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team and won the 2008 McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Competition. He also played in the Nike Hoop Summit and the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden. In addition, he earned first-team Parade All-American honors and First Team Best in the West honors. Since joining the NBA, DeRozan has become involved in a number of charitable causes. In 2010 he started DeMar's Slam Dunk Book Club, aimed at promoting literacy in schools. He later became an ambassador for Lupus Canada, raising awareness and helping those affected by lupus. The cause is particularly close to DeRozan's heart as his mother has lived with the disease for many years. In addition, DeRozan is an advocate for those suffering from depression. He and fellow NBA star Kevin Love created a PSA video to raise awareness of the issue and provide information about various mental health resources. Learn more about DeRozan by following him on Twitter (@DeMar_DeRozan) and on Instagram (@demar_derozan). DeRozan was named the 2009 Pac-10 Tournament MVP. He led USC to the Pac-10 Tournament title as the Trojans defeated Arizona State. The Compton, California native helped lead USC to the 2009 NCAA Tournament second round before losing to Michigan State -- the Spartans would end up playing in the NCAA title game that same season. DeRozan, who scored 10 or more points in each of his final nine games of the season, led USC in field goals (5.5) per game while also checking in second in both rebounds (5.7) and points (13.9) per game. DeRozan announced that he would enter the 2009 NBA Draft after his freshman year and was selected ninth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors.